What's all this about?
We know James Bond has a long association with Aston Martin, right? Well, there's a new Bond film coming out this year - it's number 25 in the series and is called No Time To Die - and so Aston itself has done a couple of 007 Edition special versions of two cars. One of them is a DBS Superleggera, which is one of four Aston Martins to appear in the latest movie, alongside the DB5, a Valhalla and an old V8. Now, this last car is retrieved by Bond from his lock-up in the film and keen fans of the MI6 spy's past exploits will recognise it as the car from 1987's The Living Daylights, starring Timothy Dalton as the secret agent. Therefore, the second 007 Edition is a Vantage that is styled up to look like that very Aston V8.
Oh yes? In what ways?
So, the Aston Martin Vantage 007 Edition comes in Cumberland Grey paint, complete with a dashed yellow diffuser (inspired by the V8's rockets in The Living Daylights) at the back and a bespoke mesh grille with a chrome bezel at the front, to make it look more like the classic Aston. Customers can even opt for limited-edition skis and a ski rack, a touch that pays homage to the ski outriggers on the film version. Talking of which, those outriggers are referenced again in a cabin thick with nods to Bond. A laser-etched gadget plaque refers to the weapons and toys fitted to Bond's V8 in the 1980s film, with those outriggers sitting alongside mentions of a rocket motor, missiles, lasers and a targeting display - this last feature also emblazoned on the paddle shifts as a set of crosshairs. An Obsidian Black leather and dark chrome cabin has 007 branding applied on the centre console (of manual models only; the 007 Edition being available as a manual or an auto), while the sun visors in all versions bear a graphic saying '96.60FM'. This is the Russian police frequency Bond utilises to make good his getaway in The Living Daylights. The seats have carbon-fibre backs and heritage fluting like an Aston V8, while 'f-holes' from a cello are outlined on the seats as a hint to the fact the Bond girl in that film, Kara Milovy (played by Maryam d'Abo), was a cellist and there's a chase scene involving her cello at one point. The final touch on this car is a Vantage side strake badge on the car. Just 100 Vantage 007 Editions will be made worldwide.
Sounds nice. And what about the DBS Superleggera?
That one will be even rarer than its Vantage relation, because a mere 25 DBS Superleggera 007 Editions will be built in total. This takes its inspiration from the car seen on screen in No Time To Die, with Ceramic Grey paint, black-tinted carbon fibre for the roof, mirror caps, splitter, diffuser and rear Aeroblade, Gloss Black diamond-turned Y-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels, a 007 wing badge and silver 007 foil applied to the rear spoiler's blade. Within, dark leather is outlined by red flashes, with 007 logos featuring on all of the door cards, the armrest buckle badge and the rear subwoofer cover. A plaque upfront conveys to the car's owner that they're sitting in one of just 25 worldwide examples of this very special DBS.
Have you got any prices and delivery dates?
You thinking of buying one? Dig deep, then, because the DBS Superleggera 007 Edition costs £279,025 and the Vantage 007 Edition is £161,000; these prices compare to the regular versions' tickets of £225,000 and £121,000 respectively.
Punchy. Anything else to add?
Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's vice-president and chief creative officer, said: "Creating a 007 Edition is always an exciting challenge as we work to develop and style a car that embodies the legend of James Bond. It is an honour to apply carefully judged 007-inspired styling to our sports cars, which gives our customers the opportunity to own a unique piece of both cinematic and automotive history."
Matt Robinson - 17 Aug 2020